Different
by AMidnightSilhouette
Summary: She worried about him often since the day she first treated him, but perhaps she was wrong in doing so. Perhaps he wasn't as similar to Madara like she thought... One-Shot, previously posted as 'The Difference'. Tobirama x Sakura


_A/N: Just an idea that crossed my mind while in the shower. That happens quite often actually... Well anyway, this is quite different from the other stories I've published on the site. Hope you like it._

Edited: September 28

_Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto_

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**The Difference**

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It was a normal routine for them. She'd come in and tend to his wounds. They would engage in smalltalk. Then it'd escalate into an argument. He'd always walk away with whatever emotions he had, left intact. She on the other hand, would walk away upset and frustrated with him.

And then he'd return the following time her medical prowess was required only to relive the same chain of events once again.

But in no way had their meeting ever ended like their last time together.

He came in with his hand grasping his side tightly, his fingers tainted with sanguine ribbons of blood. She hastily rushed by his side, supporting him with her hand wrapped highly around his back. Her other hand rested gently on his stomach, while his free arm loosely hung over her shoulder comfortably.

"Geez, what happened this time, Tobirama-san?" Sakura's voice was laced in concern. Her worried jade orbs peered into his. Truth be told she always looked at him in such a manner and somewhere within him, he found it troubling.

"Nothing happened," he responded curtly, his head snapping away from hers. He frowned.

"Oh? Is that so? Why else would your brother send you this way? Don't think you can get away without me seeing."

They reached the bench where he was to lie on his backside with her help. Once he was down she gently pulled her arms back, both of them lightly dragging around his lean figure. He slowly released the wound he covered, his hand stained a dark crimson. The sudden lack of pressure made him cringe as a throbbing pain ensued.

"Please remove your shirt." She spoke tenderly to him, just as she always had.

He didn't budge.

"Tobirama-san, you have to let me see the damage."

It was strange how he just sat there. Usually he'd only hesitate momentarily before ultimately complying, but now he just sat with an unreadable visage.

Realizing this would get her nowhere, Sakura pulled a kunai from her pouch, giving it a single spin around her finger. In one swift motion, she grasped the blade and vertically cut straight through the fabric of his midnight blue shirt typically worn under his wartime armor. Pulling the fabric back, she couldn't help but gasp loudly, horrified at the wide slit resting just above the hip. Her hand shot up to her mouth, barely concealing her lips parted in shock.

"You call _that_ nothing?! Honestly, you have to start taking better care of yourself," she warned him.

His eyes shot away from hers, slightly irritated. Of course she was right. He just wouldn't give her the satisfaction in knowing. Besides, the life of a shinobi was never meant to be a safe one.

The wound oozed a clear substance—plasma, through the crevices of the dried crimson that had just recently dried over the open wound. Taking a moist towel, she wiped down the injury, removing the traces of blood lining his pale skin. She then applied a numbing agent onto his skin. Its cooling sensation caused him to jerk at first before ultimately relaxing from the ceasing pain. Within moments, the damaged flesh went numb. A few antibiotics later and she was on her way to closing the slash. Using surgical suture, she began closing the wide gash in silence.

"It's been a while since you were last here…"

"I've been busy with working towards this dream of Hashirama's. Nothing more."

"And Madara-san?"

"What of him?"

"He must be having a rough time. After everything that's happened to him so far… that poor man."

Tobirama turned his head slightly so that he now gazed at the roseate busy at work. "You're feeling sympathetic towards that man?"

"Well I'm not entirely cruel like you, you know," she murmured.

"We're speaking of Madara." He turned away once more. "There is no ounce of sanity in that body of his. It'd be better if he too, were dead."

Her movements in the procedure came to an abrupt halt. For a moment she sat quietly unsure of how to respond to his harsh words. She spared him a slide glance, for it was all she could bring herself to do. "Does Hashirama-san know where you stand?"

He gave a curt nod. "He blindly believes he can rescue him. It's an idiot's dream. Madara is corrupted with hatred. There is no future for him."

"Well yeah, his clan's lost their trust in him, they've betrayed him, and to top it all off his only remaining brother was…"

"Are you blaming me for the way things have gone for him?"

She took a deep breath. Of course he'd interpret it like that. Sakura opted on not responding and continued with her previous train of thought, resuming her work with the stitches. "I…I just think he deserves a chance. You can't return to him what's already been lost, but just standing alongside Hashirama-san and showing him that you can see past the differences…"

"That won't happen. He's dangerous for this world. There's no telling what kinds of problems will arise with him around."

Once more Sakura's movements halted. A cling sounded out as she rested the needle driver on the medical tray. Curious, Tobirama looked back her way to see her staring at him with a taken aback expression. "He never asked for his life to be like this. Don't speak so rudely about him."

"He's unstable."

Sakura's head shot down and away from Tobirama. A ghostly silence filled the room.

"You're a lot like him," she suddenly spoke. "I've seen the way you both act. You're too much alike, actually. It could have easily been you in his predicament had you been born an Uchiha and he a Senju."

"I'm not, however. Such an ignorant thing for you to say."

Sakura huffed. "Why must you be so…"

"'So' what? If you have a problem with me, then you should leave at once."

Sans hesitation, Sakura shot up to her feet. "Why must you be like that Tobirama!? I want to see eye to eye with you, but you make it so difficult to."

Tobirama lifted himself into a seated position carefully. His hands grasped the bench on either side to support the position. "I never asked that you do so. What you feel is at your own discretion."

_Whoosh!_

It was as if time had suddenly halted. He hadn't in a million years ever expected her to swing at him like she did. Slowly he craned his head towards she who stood with her hand still hanging in the air. A bright red print slowly made its way onto his cheek with a minor sting.

"You're so insufferable," she growled. The roseate pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to steady her lividness. "You know what? You're right. It's a shame though. I really thought this could be different. I _wanted _this to be different."

Just as she turned on her heel, Tobirama ceased her by the wrist unwilling to let go of her. The abrupt physical contact caused her bambi eyes to quiver. In an instant her emotions became a blur to her. Why'd he have this power over her? It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Her eyes stung and her vision became cloudy as his voice sounded yet again.

"You haven't finished treatment yet," he said languidly. The obvious tremble of her figure was enough to tell him she was in tears. Her light sobs echoing in the room moments later confirmed that much. And at that point he knew he'd made a mistake. Because when she gradually rotated her body to face him once more, she'd made it known.

She returned to his side, finishing the final stitches before wrapping bandages around his waist with such finesse. All throughout her tears dropped one by one; her heart ached in ways she'd never expected it would. Was that truly all he thought of her? A healer and nothing else?

"…I take back what I said." She paused to steady her breathing. "You're nowhere near the same as him. He's _better_ than you." She whipped back around once more, wiping away her shed tears gently. "I'm done healing you. Try not to overexert yourself or you'll open the wound back up." She shuffled away without another word, eager to catch a fresh breath of air.

Tobirama sighed as she made her way towards the exit. If anyone it was he who should be leaving seeing as this was her examination room. "Wait."

She didn't stop. Rather, her pace quickened.

And it irked him.

So he threw a marked kunai passed her retreating form, striking the door with a muffled thud. Using the seal on the kunai he teleported directly on front of the door, blocking her one and only chance at fleeing. Sakura's eyes shot up fiercely meeting his calculating gaze. Her emerald orbs were slightly glassy from the tears she cried. She wrapped her arms tightly around her body directing her face away from his.

"It's because of the things _he's_ done that I care for you so much. I don't want to see you wind up on the same path he did should anything happen to Hashirama-san…"

Oh he was irritated alright and there would be no standing by while she spoke the way she did. Just how little did she think of him?

In one swift motion Tobirama pinned her arms above her against the wall, his right leg sliding just between the both of hers candidly. Slowly he leaned his head forward in a fashion that caused Sakura to feel as if she'd been standing there for hours. For him however, it felt much quicker—just in the moment. His head tilted slightly as he stopped just millimeters away from her, their noses easily in the position to brush against each other.

He could tell he'd taken her breath away, literally for what it was worth. She held in all air as his faced remained locked in its close parameter. Under his sharp gaze her slim figure quivered. It was as if she had been left exposed. He watched her like a hawk, his eyes reading into every change in expression or state her body underwent. He was in control of the situation now and he'd undoubtedly use it to his advantage. Tobirama inched even closer testing her reactions before he uttered a few words.

"Do you fear me?" The warm breath tickled her skin as he spoke in his low tenor. Slowly she cracked her eyes open, meeting the ruby red that was his irises. She shook her head briskly.

"Don't lie to me."

"…the only person I fear… is myself."

He'd admit the response caught him off guard, so much so that his grip on her arms loosened remarkably. He tilted his head slightly with piqued interest.

"It's as if the closer I try to get to you, the more resentment you feel towards me. I only fear that I will push it to a point where you'll find it distasteful merely walking passed me on the street. You'll hate me just like you hate Madara-san. And it'll be all my…"

Sakura's eyes shot wide open as she felt a sudden pressure on her lips. Her cheeks felt a surge of blood rush through them, causing her to turn pink. It was a warm and gentle pressure, but just strong enough to show he was in control. It was different from what she'd have imagined his lips to feel like. The tears automatically ceased upon contact. It was only when he pulled away that she'd processed what happened.

Tobirama had kissed her.

For a moment they were induced with a grand silence as his forehead now rested on hers. His eyes locked onto her with his direly stern trademark expression. The only difference was the gleam of the light reflecting off his irises allowing for an intensified look of a sort Sakura was unfamiliar with. Was it regret? Shame? A longing for something?

The glacier white haired man advanced forward once more. Still in shock, Sakura could not bring herself to move. It was as if the kissed paralyzed her—she'd become petrified. To her surprise and even relief his move was not to press his lips firmly against hers once more. Rather, he craned his head just over her shoulder angling it towards her slightly so that his steamy breath glided smoothly across her porcelain skin with each exhale.

For a moment he remained there, inhaling her intoxicating scent or mint coming from her shampoo with a light trace of fresh berries. It was… refreshing—different from the smell of iron that he was used to when in battle.

His chilling voice slithered into her ear. "You're not as bright as I'd hoped. Your mind is naive." Sakura's head tilted slightly so that her ear came closer to his lips. "For me to hate you it would take much more than you think. Comparing me to _him_ any more might just do the trick though."

That was all he said. In a flash Sakura was left alone in the room, clinging to every word Tobirama's tongue spoke. Her arms dropped down from the position there were held in just directly above her head.

In disbelief she ghosted her pointer finger over her bottom lip, tracing where the man's lips had rested upon hers. Feeling weak in the knees Sakura found herself sliding down the wall until her buttocks made contact with the floor below. And she sat there for what seemed like days, reliving the kiss in her mind.

Perhaps there was something she was wrong about, after all. If there was anything she knew from that intimate moment, it was that Tobirama was indeed different from Madara. In no way were his intentions bad. Nor would he ever follow in the same path as Madara. The kiss was a sign of reassurance. And for Sakura, it was enough to know she had nothing to worry about.

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_A/N: So that's it for this. Please review if you have time. Criticism is welcome._


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